Rescuer Injuries during extrication?

[morriss]

I was just wondering how many rescuers have been injured during an extrication? I began doing extrications in 1984 and became an instructor in 1987. I have been fortunate to only have a few bruises over the years along with some sore muscles occasionally. One of my department members fractured his ulna when a set of spreaders twisted and he tried to prevent them from turning.

During a basic extrication class in the early 1990's, one of my students broke his radius when the pry bar came out of a door jam and he fell onto it on the ground.

[Litch]

Have been involved in rescue since 1981. I have seen few injuries, most due to inattentiveness or failure to wear appropriate PPE. One man got hydraulic fluid in his eyes due to not wearing eye protection. One very humid night we had a man go down with heat exhaustion after a long extrication.